Overseas airlines see strong growth potential in Australia; part one: when the new widebodies arrive

Asia Pacific airlines have ramped up their services to Australia to leverage a boom in international travel demand, and many are targeting further expansion in this market as they look to grow their widebody fleets.

Several overseas-based airlines have already boosted their Australian capacity beyond pre-pandemic (pre-COVID-19) levels. This has strengthened the country's role as one of the most important markets for Asian airlines, helping them offset the slower recovery in other countries, such as China.

Philippine Airlines, Thai Airways, Vietjet and Air India are among those airlines that are bullish about Australia, and senior executives from these airlines discussed this market during the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific held in Brisbane on 12-13-Sept-2024.

They talked about their current presence in the Australian market, where and when additional growth might come, and the potential for overseas airlines to serve the new Western Sydney International Airport.

The executives also outlined some of the constraints that will need to be overcome for this growth to occur, in areas such as bilateral rights, visa processes and aircraft availability.

Part one of this analysis will cover Thai Airways, Philippine Airlines and Air India, and the second part will look at Vietjet, Western Sydney Airport and growth challenges.